Pill bottle safety lock

ABSTRACT

A bottle has an open neck with an inwardly disposed lock ledge. A cover is removably disposed on the neck. A tumbler body is disposed in the cover with tumblers normally engaging the ledge. The tumblers have slots. A bayonet key has blades engagable with the slots to move the tumblers away from the ledge to permit removal of the otherwise locked cover.

United States Patent Kapphahn July 8, 1975 [54] PILL BOTTLE SAFETY LOCK 3,426,932 2/1969 Rouse 215/207 [76] Inventor: Richard Kapphahn, 1310 Elm Ave,

N., Wheaton, Minn. 56296 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall [22] Filed: Dee. S, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 421,823 [57] ABSTRACT A bottle has an open neck with an inwardly disposed 2l5llgls7d7glslli8 lock ledge A cnver is removably disposed on he i neck. A tumbler body is disposed in the cover with o are zzoks tumblers normally engaging the ledge. The tumblers have slots. A bayonet key has blades engagable with the slots to move the tumblers away from the ledge to [56} uNlTE g gz g E ls gsrENTs permit removal of the otherwise locked cover.

3.386273 6/l968 Green 215/207 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures H J 2o-+=|- "H W 1 PILL BOTTLE SAFETY LOCK SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed toward a bottle containing pills or the like with a cover that can only be removed by use of a key whereby the contents cannot be dispensed accidentally by children or unauthorized indi viduals.

To this end. the bottle has an open neck with an inwardly disposed lock ledge. A cover is removably disposed on the neck. A tumbler body is disposed in the cover with tumblers normally engaging the ledge. The tumblers have slots.

A bayonet key has blades engagable with the slots to move the tumblers away from the ledge to permit removal of the otherwise locked cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut away top view thereof;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are different views of a bayonet type key used in the invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the structure of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view of certain parts used in the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, a bottle 10 is molded with a tumble lock ledge 12. A cover 14 contains a tumbler body 16 with tumblers l8. Tumblers 18 contain tumbler slots 20 tapered to allow movement away from the lock ledge. The tumblers also have flippers 22. Vertical pins 24 are snapped into certain slots 26 after the tumblers are placed in the body to prevent tumblers from popping out in case the key 28 is pulled out of the body when the cover is removed from the bottle.

The key contains three parallel vertical blades 30, 32 and 34 with downwardly curved ends and secured to 2 head 36. Blades 30 and 32 are identical. Blade 34 is thicker than the other two.

The cover can turn on the bottle but cannot be removed until the key is forced into the tumbler slots in correct manner and deeply enough so that the tumblers can be moved away from the lock ledge. To this end, one of slots 20 shown at 20A is larger than the other two to accommodate the broader key.

If desired, the cover and key can be color coded to match whereby only the correct key will fit in the correct manner.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings. such is not to be considered as limiting its actual scope.

Having thus described my invention what is asserted as new is:

I. In combination:

a bottle having an open neck with an inwardly disposed lock ledge;

a cover removably disposed on the neck;

a tumbler body disposed in the cover with tumblers normally engaging the ledge, said tumblers having slots, all but one of the slots having like widths. said one slot being wider than all other slots; and

a bayonet key having blades. the number of blades being equal to the number of slots. all but one of the blades having like widths, said one blade being wider than all other blades, each blade being engagable with a corresponding slot with said one blade being engagable only with the said one slot whereby insertion of said blades in the slots causes the tumblers to move away from the ledge to permit removal of the cover, the cover otherwise being rotatable but not removable.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein pins are disposed in slots in the bottom of the body to prevent turn blers from popping out under certain conditions.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the tumblers have flippers. 

1. In combination: A BOTTLE HAVING AN OPEN NECK WITH AN INWARDLY DISPOSED LOCK LEDGE; A COVER REMOVABLY DISPOSED ON THE NECK; A TUMBLER BODY DISPOSED IN THE COVER WITH TUMBLERS NORMALLY ENGAGING THE LEDGE, SAID TUMBLERS HAVING SLOTS, ALL BUT ONE OF THE SLOTS HAVING LIKE WIDTHS, SAID ONE SLOT BEING WIDER THAN ALL OTHER SLOTS; AND A BAYONET KEY HAVING BLADES, THE NUMBER OF BLADES BEING EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SLOTS, ALL BUT ONE OF THE BLADES HAVING LIKE WIDTHS, SAID ONE BLADE BEING WIDER THAN ALL OTHER BLADES, EACH BLADE BEING ENGAGABLE WITH A CORRESPONDING SLOT WITH SAID ONE BLADE BEING ENGAGABLE ONLY WITH THE SAID ONE SLOT WHEREBY INSERTION OF SAID BLADES IN THE SLOTS CAUSES THE TUMBLERS TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE LEDGE TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF THE COVER, THE COVER OTHERWISE BEING ROTATABLE BUT NOT REMOVABLE.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein pins are disposed in slots in the bottom of the body to prevent tumblers from popping out under certain conditions.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the tumblers have flippers. 